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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — a hat
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. club — a group
  13. present — a gift
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stock — goods
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — there
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com